Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer.
John CalvinRead
It would be the height of absurdity to label ignorance tempered by humility "faith"! (Institutio III.2.3)
Interpretation
Faith should not be confused with mere ignorance; true faith requires understanding and humility.
In this quote, John Calvin emphasizes the importance of combining knowledge with humility when it comes to matters of faith. He argues that simply accepting beliefs without understanding, under the guise of faith, is misguided and shows a lack of depth in oneβs spiritual journey. True faith encompasses both a respectful acknowledgment of one's limitations and a striving for deeper understanding.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the importance of critical thinking in religious beliefs.
Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer.
The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both.
Man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God's majesty.
Whomever the Lord has adopted and deemed worthy of His fellowship ought to prepare themselves for a hard, toilsome, and unquiet life, crammed with very many and various kinds of evil.
For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any book, however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written, are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly.
When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked rulers.
Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher's help.
I had become wealthy as an art dealer, but my life was never rich until I began serving in a mission and began being blessed by those that were basically hopeless. To see them have hope was the biggest blessing in my life.
Do not let it be your aim to be something, but to be someone.
I was looking in the mirror the other day and I realized I haven't changed much since I was in my twenties. The only difference is I look a whole lot older now.
It doesn't make a damned bit of difference who wins the war to someone who's dead.
Look behind you: What have you learned? Look around you: What is happening to others? Look above you: What does God expect of you? Look besides you: What resources are available to you?
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